To Kill A Friend (Part 2)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

Atem enjoyed the conversation with Masika. The only other spirit who had shared a host like him, he would never have been able to have such an open dialogue with. She may have to leave soon, but he didn't regret the time he was spending with her.

How it felt to be a spirit. Unknown, except to them. How it felt to be hanging on like a leech. Never would he use those words with Yuugi, but he could use them with her because she knew that same feeling.

After their meal was over, they headed back outside. "It may have been late, but it was worth it," she said to him. "The time I had to take control of Anzu, it didn't feel right. Having my own body back." She closed her eyes and smiled. "It feels so good, doesn't it?"

"It is," Atem agreed. "I never regret my time with Yuugi, but to have the privilege to move my own body. Before, with Yuugi, I only tried to take over when he needed help at first. When his grandfather was captured though, I came out during duels. I spoke to him, but . . ."

"That's why you made a best friend of Jounouchi." She didn't care. Wouldn't compare. Didn't mind that not all of Yuugi's friends were on the same level of friendship to him. She stated it, like it was a fact.

"Yuugi and Jounouchi, they were the best of my friends." It still felt like he should peer off the side of his shoulder. "I still cared for the others. Anzu and Honda were good friends too." She wasn't afraid of being blunt about certain areas. "You?"

"At first, Anzu and Ryou Bakura all the way. I tried to keep getting Anzu to look over at Ryou Bakura instead of Yuugi. But? She loved Yuugi. He makes her happy. She will probably give up everything she could have had for him."

Atem caught that tone. "Yuugi cares deeply for her. He should be exploring his feelings deeply."

"They are exploring too deeply." She moved over toward the pond again. As soon as they arrived, she had gone there, and now that they were leaving, she went right back over. Her love to see plenty of water wasn't lost on Atem. She may have lived beside the Nile. "Every casting call Anzu locked started to have something go wrong. A delay. Someone would get hurt. For her biggest break, the man in charge felt like committing suicide suddenly. It's all related." Her hands gripped to the sides of her cape. "There are two sides in this war, those trying to kill us, and those who have been manipulating us."

Atem stepped closer. "You aren't wrong," he admitted. "There are clearly two sides, but we can't choose no side. We don't have to like or agree to everyone and everything that brought us here. Events unfold as they will. All that's important, is to do what is right."

"Is it? I'm not something that should be beside a King right now, I'm someone that should . . ."

"Be beside a thief." Perhaps she had to do something else before death. "Masika. Be honest with me?" He waited until she looked over toward him. "Bakura was your friend. You were saving your friend. But? Are you also in love with your friend? If so, you should tell him before you do this."

Her expression didn't give an easy answer. Deep in thought. "I don't know." Conflicted. "I see my past with him. I don't feel. Maybe I was? Maybe I wasn't. Either way, it doesn't really matter. Bakura saved me countless times and he was always there when I needed him. Maybe not in the way I wanted him to be. Like, cutting out . . . tongues and such. But? I honestly wouldn't know. First time I saw him, he was eight. Last time I saw him, I was twelve. I kept his friendship in my heart years later when I went to Kul Elna. He was my friend. My only friend during all those years." She sighed. "Okay. Let's go home."

What? "No." No! "Masika, we have been over this. The date is over, you need to do this."

"No. If you want to get rid of me you have to kill me. You wore the remains of Bakura's entire village around your neck almost all of your life, and that scarred him deeply. Willing or not, I can't be a sacrifice to the crown."

What?! "Masika!" No, she did not just do that. "Don't make me kill you."

"I know. I should go out on a good note. A nice paper guaranteeing a nice afterlife is the smarter thing to do." She shrugged. "I'm not Anzu. You should have known that already. I'm not betraying Bakura, and sacrificing myself for you, is a complete betrayal. Kill me or the date is over and we go home."

"You have to die so that I can have that power," Atem said. "Why did you act like you would if you were going to just turn?" ///Atem: Bakura./// He said he trained her well.

"Knowing that you were going to have to kill me, and having that chance that you might stab me over the table, wouldn't have made for a good time," she said. "I had my body back. I wanted to experience life without a knife to my throat."

"You have to die, for me to have that power back to help the world!"

"How do you know for sure?" She accused him. "It's not like any of us understand what is going on. You didn't die at Yuugi's age, yet you are Yuugi's age." She touched her hair. "See this pretty hair? I didn't die with this." She let go of it. "I wore a wig, or I tried to keep my head shaved. Yet here it is. Just like the rest of me. If no one even understands these little things, then how are we to guess the big things? Doing anything just because it might be this or might be that? You're struggling to understand whatever darkness is coming. I won't hurt Bakura for that, I told you."

Damn it. "Are you really going to just do this?"

"Yes. I paid the payment for losing. You won. Be happy. Let's go." She started to head to the limo.

"That is not what the game was ultimately about!" This was not winning. Atem followed her to the limo. "You understand how gravely important this is. If you don't give me that energy, then the opportunity for help from the gods is gone!" Atem refused to get in the limo.

"Atem. Get in, kill me, or I walk home."

Atem watched Kaiba's car approaching. He seemed to have Shizuka on the other side. Why? When he approached Atem he had to ask. "Why is Shizuka with you?"

"Why can't you close a deal with a simple spirit girl?" Kaiba went over to her. "You have been chosen to sacrifice your life for the Pharaoh. It's an honor." She didn't move. Kaiba yanked out his checkbook. "Okay then. How much will it take? 100,000 yen to Anzu?"

"Nothing, Seto Kaiba." She still didn't want to cave. "I don't really know yen, but it doesn't matter. I am waiting to go back to Bakura's now."

"Frisky thing. I hate those. 1,000 dollars."

"Not even close."

"Everybody wants something. What is it you want?"

She didn't answer again.

"I know. You want Anzu to have another shot at her dream, don't you?" Kaiba sneered at her. "Yeah, that's it. She's all the way out here because she can't protect herself just because of someone else's foul ups. I'll give her enough to get her back on track and protect her own self. She can be off to America before you know it again."

"That is incredibly tempting," she said. She uncrossed her legs, pulled herself forward and locked on site toward him. "Extremely tempting, except I am not hurting Bakura, I refuse to. He's the only real memories I have, so stop trying to treat me like this."

"Pharaoh was not responsible for Bakura's change," Seto Kaiba shouted at her. "Look you Egyptian bitch, get the hint! You weren't given a body back for nothing, use it for the only purpose you can serve!"

"Seto Kaiba!" Atem couldn't take it anymore. ///Atem: No, she's right, this is wrong. Not for my energy, not for any of this, I won't belittle a person this much. Human or spirit, we all matter!/// "Stop this nonsense, stop the name calling, and leave! This date is over. I will not pursue more."

"I'm not here trying to win another duel!" Kaiba complained. "The Blue-Eyes dragon has arisen. The Dark Magician is lying in wait. You have been given a mortal body again. Something big is coming, and you really want to let her keep your power?"

"Yes." She had a defense stronger than any other. She was protecting friendship. ///Atem: Whatever is destiny, it isn't this. I feel it. I won't kill her or force this sacrifice./// "Why is Shizuka with you again, Kaiba?"

"I don't know but when a girl that controls the Blue-Eyes White Dragon comes to my headquarters at ungodly hours based on instinct, I'm not turning her away." Kaiba looked back at Atem. "Are you sure, Pharaoh?"

Seto Kaiba. Hated rival, yet as much as Kaiba felt that way? Still most loyal servant. "I am sure. She will live."

Wasted time and wasted money! "Fine. Next time we duel, if you win, I'll remind you that it doesn't matter because in the end, you got beat by an Egyptian whore." He walked off and went back to his ferrari. "Ridiculous."

"Things didn't go so well?" Shizuka asked him.

Kaiba started the car and took off. ///Seto: Shizuka Kawai. What the hell am I supposed to do with this girl? Why does she control the dragon, and why is she coming to me instinctively? Pharaoh coming to life, Bakura's good side apparently resurfacing, and an unworthy egyptian of no importance coming back too. Not to mention this Dark Magician possession over Jounouchi. What does this all mean?/// What the hell was coming? ///Seto: Whatever it is. It's big./// Never has history prepared it so much as to give this much weight.